Early years The Challenge Georges Aillères started as an invitational preseason tournament hosted by
Toulouse XIII Broncos at their home venue Stade Philippe-Struxiano. It was named after retired player
Georges Aillères, who played most of his career for
Toulouse area
rugby league and
rugby union clubs. The 2013 edition was won by
Lézignan, with Limoux finishing second. In 2014, Toulouse Olympique won the tournament in which Lézignan and the Royal Artillery were invited to compete. In 2015, tournament hosts Toulouse Broncos were absorbed by the Toulouse Olympique organization and the event went dormant. Instead, the preseason featured a "Friendship Trophy" game between Toulouse's newly merged team and
Albi, with the proceeds going to Albi product and Toulouse Olympique player Yoann Didone, who had recently suffered grave injuries in a road accident.
Relaunch In 2016, the
French Rugby League Federation took over the tournament's name and relaunched it under an entirely different format. This version served as a secondary cup competition open to all Elite 2 teams, using full-length games and a more spread-out schedule akin to other league cups. In 2019, the tournament was renamed Coupe de France Georges-Aillères, as part of a general strategy by the federation to brand its various cup competitions "Coupe de France", regardless of their level. No competition was held in the following seasons, but the
French Rugby League Federation announced that it would return in the 2025–26 season under its original name of the Challenge Georges Aillères. ==In the French rugby league pyramid==